Top virologist advises reopening schools in phases with vaccinated staff

On Thursday, the top virologist Dr Gagandeep Kang said that schools should be reopened in a phased manner with staff and teachers fully vaccinated.

After a devastating second wave of coronavirus during April and May, now the parents, teachers and students are expecting schools to reopen. Amid fewer cases being reported in most parts of the country, the government has lifted lockdown restrictions across states. However, fear of the third wave is still there, which can come in a few months, as per various reports.

Speaking to a news agency, Dr Kang said,  “The schools should be reopened in a phased manner and frequently sanitised. Social distancing norms should be maintained in the classrooms and all the staff must be vaccinated.”

Last month, Dr Randeep Guleria, Chief of All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Delhi also recommended phase-wise reopening of the schools in districts reporting fewer cases. Recently, the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) Director-General Balram Bhargava also said in Delhi that schools should be reopened and the primary section must start first as children can handle the infection better than adults, however, he also advocated that staff and teachers must be fully vaccinated.

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